Loyal
by KaioM
Summary: Sarutobi Hiruzen never planned for his own death. Uzumaki Kushina watches from the grave. Naruto decides that bonds are important. The people in his life stop to reflect. AU, one shot, 1,055 words.


**Because**** I think Naruto will end up happy, in life or death.**

**Words: 1,055 (including authors notes)**

**No beta.**

**Read, review, whatever.**

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_Pain is everywhere._

_Pain has no limits, no boundary. Everyone, on some level, knows pain._

_If everyone knew the same pain, would there be peace?_

_Only against a common enemy does hatred disappear, to be replaced by allegiance._

_Pain has the potential to solve all wars._

_The only way to do this, though, is to have a scapegoat._

_Someone needs to be that common enemy. Someone needs to give up ties with the world in order to force people into uniting through necessity._

The Nara and the Aburame? Enemies. Hatred ran deep, for generations.

Then, they both looked over at the aftershock of the Kyuubi attack, and there was an unspoken truce. Suddenly, the hatred they used to send each other was too valuable for wasting there. Both of them forgot to hate each other, because it was so much easier to hate Naruto, instead.

It happened all over the village.

Hyuuga and Uchiha.

Sarutobi and Yamanaka.

Akimichi and Inuzuka.

It was even present between civilians.

In retrospect, the Kyuubi attack did wonders for the relations between citizens.

At a cost, of course. These things don't just happen. There's always a catch. Albeit, not a very big one in the eyes of the village.

One Uzumaki Naruto.

In return for the renewed Leaf, Naruto was hated. Even those who had the logical knowledge of the sealing, even those who understood that Naruto was just a lonely boy, hated him. It was so easy to do so. So easy to just heap everything onto him. There were very few exceptions.

Ayame and Teuchi, owners of Ichiraku's Ramen, were the only people that honest to god didn't care about the sealing. Naruto was a person to them.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was not among the people who did not hate Naruto.

He'd lost things, too. His wife, his son, his brother… Things had been taken from him. And it'd hurt. Still did. Bad.

But there was still a jinchuuriki by the name of Naruto that had to be taken care of. Hiruzen was the Hokage; he understood what had to be done.

Naruto was the secret weapon against the world. Konoha's last defense. The one thing that could flip around an invasion, a war, a single battle.

Naruto had to be loyal to the village, or the plans of Konoha would be ruined.

Despite Danzo's belief that some kind of military training designed just for Naruto would keep him tied to Konoha, Hiruzen knew the truth.

Bonds.

If Hiruzen wanted to twist around Naruto's mindset into being unconditionally loyal to the village, the way to do it was bonds. By tricking Naruto into thinking that he had friends _inside_ the village, and none _outside_ the village, Naruto would ultimately be loyal to Konoha.

The only flaw in that plan was the villagers themselves.

Hiruzen knew how hard it was to pretend to enjoy Naruto's company. That's why he'd hoped that the villagers to do the job for him, so that he could avoid Naruto's presence all together.

No such luck, it seemed.

"I love you, Oyaji."

The blonde snuggled into the Hokage robes that Hiruzen was wearing. He yawned, content, curled into a small ball on the Kage's lap.

Oh, god. It hurt. He was so close to _Kyuubi_ that he could practically taste it. Hiruzen clenched a fist.

His face settled into a false smile. Naruto looked up at him.

"I love you too, Naruto."

But nothing could hide the malice behind those eyes.

It didn't matter.

Naruto loved the old man.

Anyone in his position would, really.

And he liked to think that the old man loved him, too.

But every now and then, the old man got the same look as the rest of the villagers. Every now and then, he'd clench his fists in anger at the smallest things Naruto did. Every now and then, it almost seemed like the old man _hated_ him.

Naruto loved the old man.

And he liked to believe that the old man loved him, too.

(Naruto didn't.)

So, even if the village hated him, Naruto would never leave the old man. This was his home. As long as the old man was here, Naruto would stay.

Hiruzen quietly murmured to himself, "_Success._"

The day after Sarutobi Hiruzen's funeral, Naruto left the village, and, watching from his place in eternal death, the third Hokage of Konoha realized the flaw in his plan.

Because, even if Naruto held a bond with him, Konoha was another story.

No one lives forever.

Because Naruto was loyal to Hiruzen, but not to Konoha.

Hiruzen sighs, ignoring the warm feeling that was slowly building in his stomach.

Because Naruto loved the old man.

But he didn't love Konoha.

_Loyalties are strange things._

_So are bonds._

_But, in the end…_

_Pain is forever._

For the first time, Sarutobi Hiruzen acknowledged that he loved Naruto.

Not for the first time, Sarutobi Hiruzen cursed himself.

Somewhere, far away from the border of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto mourned the loss of the last person who ever loved him.

Somewhere, deep in Orochimaru's hideout, Sasuke gave himself a moment to wonder what was so bad about Uzumaki Naruto.

Somewhere, in her room, Haruno Sakura sat staring at the leaf symbol on her forehead protector, wondering what it was that made her teammates break. She tossed the metal plated headband out the window and decided to resign.

Somewhere, watching the world, Uzumaki Kushina waited.

_Pain is everywhere._

_And for some, it may be forever._

_But for others…_

Kushina smiled sadly at her son, knowing he couldn't see her.

_Pain is only in life._

"I can't wait 'til we meet, Naruto…"

_And it fades._

"I wonder what it'll be like, seeing you all grown up…"

_Everyone has an ending._

_Everyone has bonds._

"I love you already!"

_Even if we don't know about them yet._

Naruto lived on.

His relatives waited.

_But, one day…_

Kushina smile turned brighter.

_Those who deserve it…_

"I'll be waiting, dattebane."

_End the pain._

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**I love this. So much. Did you?**


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